Junior Culture

Electronic Press Kit

Junior Culture was born Jermaine Vassell on August 13, 1980 in Jones Town, Kingston, Jamaica. This was a time when political tensions were high and widespread use of the gun in illegal activities began to take root. I am the fourth of eleven children. I resided in Jones Town with my parents and siblings until I was seven years old. At this time I went to live with my aunt in Red Pond, a small community off St. John’s Road in Spanish Town, St. Catherine. While living in Jones Town I attended the Clan Carthy Primary School for one year. I was transferred to Friendship Primary School in Spanish Town when I went to live with my aunt. I completed my education at Tredegar Park All Age School where I graduated at age sixteen. It was while living with my aunt and attending Friendship Primary School that my musical career began to take shape. My aunt was very instrumental in this aspect since she was the one who discovered my talent by simply listening to me singing in the bathroom. I would also sing while doing household chores and on my way to school. This influenced my aunt to write my first song entitled “A Fi Tek a Look”. I performed this song at a school concert and the response was enormous. It ‘mash up di place’. From then on my aunt would take me to the studio after school. The first studio that she took me to was King Bully’s Recording Studio in Spanish Town. In 1995 I decided to learn the skill of woodwork and joinery. This I did mainly because I wanted to have something to fall back on if the music business did not materialize for me. My first love is really music but as with any field, there exists a level of uncertainty. However, music had a stronger influence on my life. While plying trade as a woodworker I continued to write songs and perform at local community concerts and stage shows. It was then that I realized that I possessed excellent writing and performing skills. My love for music continued to grow and blossom. Unfortunately I lost my father in 1996 to illness. May his soul rest in peace. At age eighteen I started to visit studios in Kingston. These included Penthouse, Mixing Lab, Arrows, Tuff Gong and Cave Man. While I was at Cave Man I was introduced to a young producer who owned a recording label, Omega Music. I recorded my first single for Omega; a track entitled “Pretty Dunce”. It sold over one hundred and fifty (150) copies that were distributed by Energy Beat Music. I then recorded my second single for Nocturnal Productions, a song entitled “Imposter”. I then started to produce my own songs and handled my musical career. My role model in my humble musical career is the late great Peter Tosh. Not only do I listen to his music but I respected and admired him. It got to the extent where I always tell people around me that I am Peter Tosh and Peter Tosh is me. In 2000 I left the woodwork trade to work as a sales clerk at a wholesale in Kingston. I had to resort to this job because the impact of imported furniture resulted in a downturn in the local furniture manufacturing industry. I never gave up on music even when there was not much happening for me but sometimes I had to take a break from music to deal with my personal life. Through good and bad times I often find comfort in my music. I am very grateful to Jah for this great blessing that he has placed upon me. I worked at the wholesale for three years after which I worked as a bearer for a prominent custom brokerage firm. All this time I was yearning to be fully involved in music. In 2008 I recorded ‘Trying’ for Image Productions. I was then introduced to Riddims of Life Records for which I have recorded the single ‘Loving You’ featuring Nadia. I am working with this label and on other singles for my first album to be released in the near future. I see myself as a normal person who likes to be around positive people. I also like to be around the poor because I can identify with their feelings and through my lyrics I can offer some words of hope to them. Being around them reminds me of who I am and where I came from. One of my greatest joys is to help people to rise and for me life is the greatest gift so I always give as much as I can to life and life gives back to me.